Luis Enrique: 'Rewriting history' is the goal as PSG faces Arsenal

Ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique conveyed a message of confidence and a clear objective: to "rewrite history." Despite a sometimes "spiky relationship" with the French media, the Spaniard focused on his team's readiness for the high-stakes encounter against a fellow club seeking its first Champions League title.

Luis Enrique highlighted PSG's recent record against English clubs in the competition as a source of confidence. Having already eliminated Liverpool and Aston Villa earlier in the campaign, he noted, "In terms of confidence, it is very positive for us." While acknowledging that each match is different, he suggested that their experience against Premier League opposition could be an advantage.

When pressed on the common assertion that the Premier League is the "best league in the world," Luis Enrique remained non-committal, stating, "I don’t know if I agree or not." He later brushed off further questions on the topic, citing anticipated criticism regardless of his answer.

'PSG has evolved since October'

A significant point of discussion was the previous meeting between the two sides this season. On October 1st, 2024, Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over PSG in London during the league phase. Luis Enrique directly addressed this result, acknowledging it took place "seven or eight months ago." He insisted that his team has evolved significantly since then. "I have reviewed the game," he stated, "and seen how far our game has come and we are better now. We are a more complete team." This indicates a belief that the previous result is not necessarily indicative of how the semi-final will unfold.

The ultimate goal for PSG, a club that reached the final in 2020 but lost to Bayern Munich, is to finally lift the Champions League trophy. Luis Enrique articulated this ambition clearly: "Our next objective is to rewrite history and there is only one way to do that." He underscored the historical significance of the tie, noting, "I would like to remind you that Arsenal has not won the Champions League before." This highlights the shared quest for a maiden title, adding immense pressure and opportunity for both sides.

Over the two legs, starting at the Emirates and concluding in Paris on May 7th, only one team will secure "the ticket to the final," and Luis Enrique expressed his hope that "will be PSG."

While the primary focus was on the collective and the historical objective, midfielder Vitinha also offered a brief perspective. The Portuguese player, who had a loan spell at Wolves earlier in his career, spoke about benefiting from that experience, stating it was "incredible" and allowed him to develop "on the pitch and in a human way," concluding he "wouldn’t change anything." However, his comments were secondary to Luis Enrique's broader strategic and historical outlook on the semi-final tie.

Luis Enrique's press conference painted a picture of a PSG side that feels improved since their last encounter with Arsenal, confident from recent European successes against English teams, and singularly focused on overcoming their opponents to finally "rewrite history" and claim the elusive Champions League crown that neither they nor Arsenal have ever achieved.